West New York police charge man with squirting bottle of urine at jitney bus driver

LAUREN CASSELBERRY JOURNAL PHOTOWEST NEW YORK resident Epifanio Gomez was arrested on Saturday at the intersection of 55th Street and Bergenline Avenue in West New York after he allegedly squirted a bottle of urine at a jitney bus driver and then repeatedly punched the victim in the face while the bus was stopped at a red light.

WEST NEW YORK -- A town man was arrested on Saturday after squirting a bottle of urine at a jitney bus driver and then repeatedly punching the victim in the face while the bus was stopped at a red light, reports said.

Police responded to Bergenline Avenue and 55th Street around 4:30 p.m. on a report of a motor vehicle accident and found the two men fighting in the street, officials said.

The victim, a West New York man, said he was at a red light when Epifanio Gomez, of 59th Street, came up to his driver’s side window and squirted a bottle of urine “all over him,” and then punched him in the face multiple times, according to police.

After being punched in the face, the victim took his foot off the brake, causing the bus to strike the car in front, according to reports. The driver of that car helped restrain Gomez until police arrived, reports said.

The urine-throwing incident was not the end of the victim’s troubles that day.

About 90 minutes later, his car was found vandalized, and when he finally returned to his bus around 9 p.m., he found his suitcase missing, police said. The bag contained $200 cash and a jacket, police said.